Travel insurance
Travel insurance that covers pregnancy-related complications is highly recommended when traveling during pregnancy. Standard policies often exclude pregnancy. Look for policies that cover emergency medical care, trip cancellation, and medical evacuation.
Does standard travel insurance cover pregnancy?
Most standard travel policies do cover an uncomplicated pregnancy for emergency medical treatment, up to a stated week of gestation. What they usually do not cover is childbirth itself, routine antenatal care, or cancelling a trip simply because you are pregnant. The cut-off week and the exclusions are the two things worth reading before you buy.
Insurers treat pregnancy as a pre-existing condition far less often than people expect. What does get treated as pre-existing is a pregnancy complication you already knew about — pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, a previous preterm birth, or a multiple pregnancy. Those normally need to be declared.
The gestational week cut-off
Almost every policy stops covering pregnancy-related claims at a set week, and the number varies more than you would think.
- Many insurers cover to 28 weeks for a single pregnancy.
- Some go to 32 weeks, a few to 36 weeks.
- Twins and higher multiples usually have an earlier cut-off, often 24 weeks.
- The relevant date is the date of travel and the date of return, not the date you bought the policy.
What to check before you buy
- The gestational week limit, and whether it applies to your return date as well as your departure date.
- Whether emergency treatment for premature labour abroad is covered, and whether cover extends to the newborn.
- Whether repatriation is covered if you are advised not to fly home.
- Whether cancellation is covered if a doctor advises you not to travel — this is often the clause that matters most.
- Whether the destination has any travel-health advisory, such as Zika, that voids cover.
Documents worth carrying
Take your maternity notes, or a photo of them, plus a letter from your midwife or doctor confirming your due date and that you are fit to travel. Many airlines ask for that letter after 28 weeks anyway, and insurers ask for it when assessing a claim.
Frequently asked questions
Does travel insurance cover pregnancy?
Most standard policies cover emergency medical treatment for an uncomplicated pregnancy up to a stated gestational week, commonly 28 to 32 weeks for a single pregnancy and often 24 weeks for twins. Childbirth, routine antenatal care and cancelling because you are pregnant are usually excluded.
Do I need to declare my pregnancy to a travel insurer?
An uncomplicated pregnancy usually does not need declaring, because insurers rarely treat it as a pre-existing condition. Known complications such as pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, a previous preterm birth or a multiple pregnancy normally do need to be declared.
Until what week does travel insurance cover pregnancy?
Commonly 28 weeks, with some insurers extending to 32 or 36 weeks. Twins and higher multiples often have an earlier limit, around 24 weeks. The limit applies to your return date as well as your departure date.
Will travel insurance pay if I cancel because of pregnancy?
Only if a doctor advises against travel for a medical reason and the policy includes that clause. Cancelling simply because you are pregnant is not normally covered, so check the cancellation wording before buying.
Travel
This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a qualified health provider with any questions about your pregnancy or your baby's health.
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